Sugar Cane Fires Produce Haziness

December 4, 1999|STAFF REPORTS

Palm Beach County — It took hours to figure out, but that smoke in the air over parts of Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton early Friday was the result of fires in sugar cane fields near the Everglades.

Firefighters and commuters across the region all noticed the haze, but weren't clear about the cause. Several fire departments reported fielding calls from bewildered residents -- and other departments.

"All the cities saw it and we were all calling each other saying `Is it yours? Is it yours?' but it was nobody's," said Steve Gale, deputy chief for Boynton Beach's fire department.

Gale suspected early on that it was burning cane, and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue spokesman Nigel Baker confirmed it. "It's so common this time of year to the agricultural community," he said.